The present invention is directed generally to storage cabinets, and more particularly to locking systems for storage cabinets.
Large storage cabinets used in the construction industry are often formed of steel sheet. Such cabinets typically include opposed side walls, a rear wall, a floor, a ceiling, and one or two doors that are pivotally mounted on the front edges of the side walls to provide access to the cabinet from the front. The floor, walls and ceiling of the cabinet can be formed either from a single sheet of steel that is bent at intersecting edges of these surfaces or from multiple pieces of sheet steel that are welded together. Often, such a cabinet will also include one or more shelves which facilitate the storage of tools and other items. Also, many cabinets have bolsters underlying the floor, and some will include casters beneath the bolsters. The doors of the cabinet are typically formed of a single sheet of steel and, with the exception of narrow finishing flanges around the edges, they are relatively flat. Typical sizes for such a cabinet can range from 40 ft3 to 60 ft3 or even larger. Exemplary storage cabinets include those sold under the name JOBOX(copyright) by Delta Consolidated Industries, Jonesboro, Ark. and those sold under the name JOBMASTER(copyright) by Knaack Manufacturing, Crystal Lake, Ill.
As noted above, many storage cabinets of the type described above have doors pivotally attached to the front edges of the side walls to alternatively allow and prevent access to the cavity of the cabinet from the front. Generally such cabinets have a vertical support member that is mounted to and extends from the floor to the ceiling. The support member is positioned such that it spans the gap between the free edges of the doors when they are closed. Each door will typically have an engaging member of a latch (such as a hook) attached near its free edge that interacts with a latching mechanism attached to the support member. As an example, one latching mechanism includes horizontally-disposed pins that engage with hooks on the doors and thereby latch the doors in place. The pins are mounted on a vertical rod that is slidably mounted to the rear surface of the support member. The pins can be raised to unlatch the doors via a lever or knob that extends forwardly from the vertical rod through a vertical slot in the support member.
Many cabinets will also include a locking system that enables the doors to be locked in the latched position. One such locking system (illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,290,281 and 5,076,078 to Weger, Jr.) includes a xe2x80x9cpocketxe2x80x9d located in the vertical support member that houses a padlock. The padlock is disposed horizontally within the pocket, with the xe2x80x9ckey insertion endxe2x80x9d of the padlock body being exposed for forward access through the pocket, and the shackle of the padlock extending toward the cavity of the storage cabinet and being restrained by a bracket within the pocket. The body and shackle surround an upright notched member that is attached to and moves vertically with the latching mechanism. When the padlock is locked, the body engages the notch of the notched member, so vertical movement of the latching mechanism is prevented (i.e., the doors of the cabinet are locked and remain locked). When the padlock is unlocked, horizontal movement of the body away from the shackle creates sufficient space for the notched member to become disengaged from the body, and the latching mechanism is free to move vertically to unlatch the doors of the cabinet. This type of locking configuration is particularly desirable for storage cabinets used and left overnight at construction sites, as the pocket protects the lock from being destroyed by someone severing the shackle with a bolt cutter or a similar tool.
One difficulty with the latching and locking mechanisms of current storage cabinets is the inconvenience of opening the cabinet when an operator""s hands are full. Even if the cabinet is unlocked and the latching mechanism is free to move, the operator is forced to reach with his hand to grasp and pull the latching lever. If many items are being carried, or if an item being carried is particularly heavy or bulky, the operator may be forced either to set down some or all of his load or to balance the load with one hand and arm in order to unlatch the doors of the cabinet.
Another performance issue of current latching systems presents itself when the operator wishes to close the doors. With the system described above, often the latching mechanism will remain in the unlatched position after unlatching, either simply by friction or through a subassembly designed for this purpose. An operator opens the doors by moving release lever to the unlatched position, at which time both doors would have the opportunity to open. Often, both doors tend to open; this is particularly true if the cabinet is positioned on uneven ground, with the front of the cabinet being lower than the rear of the cabinet. If the operator reaches in to gather items from within the cabinet and has his hands full, closing and latching the doors is difficult, because the latch remains in the unlatched position until actively moved back by the operator. A related problem occurs when the operator wishes to open only one door; with the latching mechanism in the unlatched position, the door that he wishes to remain closed will have a tendency to open unless he actively moves the release lever back to the locking position after opening the door he wishes to open.
Another shortcoming of the current cabinets is the tendency of the bolsters to fracture when casters are mounted thereunder. The bolsters are typically formed of a single sheet of steel bent into the shape of an open rectangular box. The cabinets are often loaded sufficiently that bolsters of this structure may have inadequate strength to support the load; as a result, the bolsters fail at the mounting locations of the casters.
The present invention can address the shortcomings of prior latching systems by enabling the operator to unlatch the doors by using either of an upper release member (which is positioned at a height convenient for operation by hand) or a lower release member (which is positioned at a height convenient for operation by foot). One embodiment of such a storage cabinet comprises: a container having a floor, upright side walls and a rear wall attached to and extending upwardly from the floor, and a ceiling attached to the side walls and rear wall, the floor, side walls, rear wall, and ceiling defining a storage cavity; a vertical support member extending upwardly from the floor; at least one door pivotally attached to one of the side walls and movable between an open position, in which the cavity is accessible from a position forward thereof, and a closed position, in which the door contacts the support member and prevents access to the cavity from a position forward thereof; and a latching mechanism attached to the support member. The latching mechanism includes two release members protruding forwardly from the support member, wherein an upper one of the release members is positioned above a lower one of the release members. The release members are movable in unison from a latched position, in which the latching mechanism latches the door in the closed position, and an unlatched position, in which the latching mechanism allows the door to move to the open position. In this configuration, an operator carrying a load with both hands can choose to unlatch the door by hand or by foot, depending on which method is more convenient.
A preferred embodiment of the storage cabinet includes two doors, each of which includes a front panel that is forwardly spaced from said support member, and the upper and lower release members are of a length such that they do not protrude forwardly beyond the front panels of the doors. This protects passers-by from snagging clothing on the release levers.
In another embodiment, a storage cavity of the present invention includes a container, a support member and at least one door as defined above, and further includes a latching mechanism having at least one release member protruding forwardly from the support member and being movable from a latched position, in which the latching mechanism latches the door in the closed position, and an unlatched position, in which the latching mechanism allows the door to move to the open position. The latching mechanism also includes a generally vertically disposed post that is slidably mounted on the support member for vertical movement relative thereto. The post is attached to the at least one release member. The latching mechanism further includes a biasing unit (for example, a spring) that biases the latching mechanism toward the latched position. This configuration enables the latching mechanism to move from the unlatched position to the latched position without the operator actively causing this action. This feature can assist in keeping one or more doors of the cabinet closed.
Another aspect of the present invention is a bolster assembly that can be used with storage cabinets of the type described above. Such a bolster assembly includes: a lower channel having a horizontally-disposed floor and opposed upright side walls; a front bracket having a horizontally-disposed floor and an upright front wall, wherein the front bracket floor is attached to and overlies a front portion of the lower channel floor; a rear bracket having a horizontally-disposed floor and an upright rear wall, wherein the rear bracket floor is attached to and overlies a rear portion of the lower channel floor; a front castor attached to and underlying the front portion of said lower channel; and a rear castor attached to and underlying the rear portion of said lower channel. A bolster assembly of this configuration can provides a reinforced mounting location for the casters that reduces the tendency of the bolster to fail under load.